I am from Iowa and am a lifelong Iowa Hawkeyes fan. I moved to Kentucky a few years ago and met my wife. We are looking to relocate to Clarksburg West Virginia where her sister is, next year. Although I am a Iowa fan, I still want a local team to root for. I know Clarksburg is closer to Morgantown, and this is going to be a biased bored, but what are some reasons why it is better to be a Thundering Herd, than a Mountaineer? What are some differences in the schools? I am predominantly a football and wrestling fan. I do follow basketball as well though.
Marshall or West Virginia?
- Thread starter Mr Deeds
- Start date
So Mr. Deeds goes to Huntington. Both schools have solid programs in most sports. The difference in the fan bases, in my opinion (aside from numbers) Marshall primarily caters to students from West Virginia and that is reflected in the sport rosters. Our fans, while passionate, do not project the same image to visiting teams as do our brethren up north. Of course once you settle in Clarksburg you will hear an entirely different story. For comparison ask any Purdue fan that was in Huntington last year or Va Tech fans (once WVUs rival), etc. My best suggestion is attend a game at each location and decide for yourself. We have Louisville here in September and play at Pitt. Naturally WVU has huge schedule being in the Big 12. Still I believe you will find the game atmosphere in Huntington worth the drive down from Clarksburg. You are welcome at Marshall anytime. Go Herd!
-go to a game in Morgantown wearing visiting team apparel
-go to a game in Huntington wearing visiting team apparel
enjoy your lifelong Thundering Herd fandom....
-go to a game in Huntington wearing visiting team apparel
enjoy your lifelong Thundering Herd fandom....
I'm from Clarksburg and can testify that there are a number of Marshall alum in the area. Never go Yellow/Blue.
yes, but after their greatest basketball team ever carbon copied their greatest football team ever we should do all we can to keep them off the ledge...
I still have yet to ever get an answer as to why NJ Southern State School of Arson fans come to a Marshall board to post, to troll, to ask stupid questions?
What IS the obsession?
You refuse to play. It hurts the state economically. Please, we don't need to hear from you otherwise. We don't WANT to hear from you otherwise.
How hard IS that to grasp?
What IS the obsession?
You refuse to play. It hurts the state economically. Please, we don't need to hear from you otherwise. We don't WANT to hear from you otherwise.
How hard IS that to grasp?
@herdalicious - he really shouldn't have to do this, but I will.
https://westvirginia.forums.rivals.com/threads/west-virginia-or-marshall.99738/
@Mr Deeds - I'm sorry everyone is so suspicious of you, its really not how the Marshall Fanbase tends to act. You've gotten a much better reception over at the WVU boards and I wouldn't blame you for writing us off at this point.
Since you don't really have any relationship to the two programs, and they won't be playing each other in either basketball or football anytime soon I don't see a good reason that you shouldn't cheer for both teams.
love, love, LOVE how the majority of 'eerdiots are yelling "look at schedules, look at conferences" as the main rally cry for their fandom.
funny how it only took them a few years in a real conference to become UK Football fans chanting, "SEC, SEC, SEC!!!"
lulz
funny how it only took them a few years in a real conference to become UK Football fans chanting, "SEC, SEC, SEC!!!"
lulz
Mr Deeds would do well to understand that we average a couple WVU trolls a month over here. That's on top of the garbage that shows up with no disguise.
I could be wrong, but I would think that the conferences and schedules of the perspective teams would be an important factor when deciding which games to attend. I would imagine that conference affiliation would be much more important than, say, head-to-head records of the two candidates.
I would suggest that the Iowa fan attend a game in each stadium and decide which he likes better. (Although after reading the threads on both boards, I wouldn't be surprised if he decided to just stay home and watch the Big10 network.)
[QUOTE="MarcoMonster, post: 326145, member:"
@Mr Deeds - I'm sorry everyone is so suspicious of you, its really not how the Marshall Fanbase tends to act. You've gotten a much better reception over at the WVU boards and I wouldn't blame you for writing us off at this point.[/QUOTE]
You almost had me until you posted that. Obvious Troll is Obvious Trolls, I guess.
@Mr Deeds - I'm sorry everyone is so suspicious of you, its really not how the Marshall Fanbase tends to act. You've gotten a much better reception over at the WVU boards and I wouldn't blame you for writing us off at this point.[/QUOTE]
You almost had me until you posted that. Obvious Troll is Obvious Trolls, I guess.
@Mr Deeds
If you are looking for a local team to cheer on and be proud of then Marshall is your team. If you are looking for conference affiliation and who is on the schedule then wvu is your team.
While several teams in CUSA are garbage there are some good matchups on our schedule and we also play Louisville and Pitt this season. We get Pitt and NCST later on as well. So there will be big games to look forward to.
If you want a family atmosphere where you are comfortable in bringing your young ones if you have any then Marshall is your team hands down.
Also if you are looking for a team that can and will win championships than Marshall is once again your team because our chances of winning and constantly competing in CUSA are far and away greater than WVU's chances in the Big XII.
Get with a winner. Get you some Kelly green and make your way to Huntington.
If you are looking for a local team to cheer on and be proud of then Marshall is your team. If you are looking for conference affiliation and who is on the schedule then wvu is your team.
While several teams in CUSA are garbage there are some good matchups on our schedule and we also play Louisville and Pitt this season. We get Pitt and NCST later on as well. So there will be big games to look forward to.
If you want a family atmosphere where you are comfortable in bringing your young ones if you have any then Marshall is your team hands down.
Also if you are looking for a team that can and will win championships than Marshall is once again your team because our chances of winning and constantly competing in CUSA are far and away greater than WVU's chances in the Big XII.
Get with a winner. Get you some Kelly green and make your way to Huntington.
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Well I am familiar with trolls. On the Iowa board you have trolls from Iowa State who don't have a football rivals board. You have trolls from Nebraska who talk about their history, yet can't win now. Then you have what I believe to be fake people coming from what they say are other fan bases, just to start a riot. I have "We Are Marshall," but did not want to stereotype the school just to that movie. When I move to West Virginia I would love to visit both stadiums. I see no reason not to support either since the two schools are not really rivals. Thank you for your responses. I'll check back periodically.
Oh, and I guess I don't have 6,000 posts. I am a little short.
https://iowa.forums.rivals.com/threads/2016-game-times.118050/
Oh, and I guess I don't have 6,000 posts. I am a little short.
https://iowa.forums.rivals.com/threads/2016-game-times.118050/
Why Marshall over WVU? Intelligence -- Marshall fans went to Marshall, WVU fans went to Wal-Mart.
Mr. Deeds, welcome to WV. Here is possibly the best reason you might choose to cheer for Marshall over wvu. Its the same reason you cheered for Rocky in 1976 (or would have if you had been alive). Because we are the underdog. We are a medium sized school with a passionate fan base who succeeds despite the odds. Because we love our team in a way that most people cannot understand, after surviving a plane crash in 1970 and nearly canceling the program. We won 22 games in the decade of the 70's, and then went on to become the winningest team of the 90's. If you had watched the final seconds count down in the 1992 1-AA national championship game with tears in your eyes, you would understand. It was about much more than football. If you had watched Marshall win 10 games, go to a bowl game and have a Heisman finalist in their first year in 1-A, you would understand.
We don't have a huge Power 5 check coming in every year to fund our programs and facilities like wvu does. They are the state team with a big following. They play Texas and Oklahoma, while we have to beg good OOC teams to come to Huntington. They win some big games up there. But magic happens at Marshall that money cannot buy in Morgantown. And when we accomplish something, what we have overcome makes it even sweeter. Not to mention Marshall having some of the most welcoming fans in college football, while fans visiting Morgantown are subject to behavior that is inappropriate at best (plus when they win a big game, rioting and couch burning have become a national embarrassment. Although that has not been a problem since they joined the Big 12.) While we do not play in a strong conference, we have won at least 10 games 3 years in a row, we've beaten Maryland, Louisville, Purdue and UConn in recent seasons, and we play Louisville at home this year and also at Pitt (an easy drive from Clarksburg).
So take your pick (or don't pick, since the two schools will never play again... a decision by wvu. They just ended the basketball series as well). Honestly, most people with no personal allegiance to either school would be a wvu fan and watch P5 football. No shame in that. But maybe you'd rather follow a successful mid-major team with a very special story. Maybe you want to cheer for the underdog. If so, welcome aboard.
We are... Marshall.
We don't have a huge Power 5 check coming in every year to fund our programs and facilities like wvu does. They are the state team with a big following. They play Texas and Oklahoma, while we have to beg good OOC teams to come to Huntington. They win some big games up there. But magic happens at Marshall that money cannot buy in Morgantown. And when we accomplish something, what we have overcome makes it even sweeter. Not to mention Marshall having some of the most welcoming fans in college football, while fans visiting Morgantown are subject to behavior that is inappropriate at best (plus when they win a big game, rioting and couch burning have become a national embarrassment. Although that has not been a problem since they joined the Big 12.) While we do not play in a strong conference, we have won at least 10 games 3 years in a row, we've beaten Maryland, Louisville, Purdue and UConn in recent seasons, and we play Louisville at home this year and also at Pitt (an easy drive from Clarksburg).
So take your pick (or don't pick, since the two schools will never play again... a decision by wvu. They just ended the basketball series as well). Honestly, most people with no personal allegiance to either school would be a wvu fan and watch P5 football. No shame in that. But maybe you'd rather follow a successful mid-major team with a very special story. Maybe you want to cheer for the underdog. If so, welcome aboard.
We are... Marshall.
Actually, saying we're a medium size school is being very nice. In fact, Idaho is the only pubic university playing BCS football that is smaller than Marshall. There are some smaller private schools like Tulsa.
OK, here goes. Following each school requires sacrifices, or pehaps the better word is accomodations.
To follow WVU, one must do the following:
- The WWF factor. WVU fans, led by its lapdog media, will spew absolute idiocy. Idiocy about the recruits, all of whom were snatched from Alabama, Notre, Dame, and USC's hands. Idiocy about the coaches, all of whom are super geniuses. Idiocy about the fan base, which is "special" and will turn out for sell outs every time (all those empty seat you think you see, you do not see). And idiocy about the school's status, which really is not open-admissions and 65% out-of-state rich kids; and its finances, which are "self-supporting".
- The Notre Dame factor. Because in the four years since foolishly moving up to the true major level, WVU has been singularly unsuccessful, one must sit around and talk about long ago successes. (Of course, Notre Dame really did have success long ago, buy, see "WWF factor, above, one must believe that the old "Big East" and its predecessors was actually "major college football" ) and sit about and talk about heroic stars (none of which you ever heard of if you follow pro football) and "huge" wins like beating Penn State twice out of 45 tries.
- The UK football factor. Since WVU really cannot compete in the Big 2, Little 8, one must live vicariously through the good (there are no great) teams in the 5th of the 5 "power 5" leagues, just as UK football fans live through their SEC betters.
- The Marshall factor. You must know every single thing about Marshall. You must be fixated upon Marshall. Every team that plays Marshall must be your second favorite. All the while denying that you care a bit about your "non-rival".
- The Hank, Jr. and Jersey Shore factor. WVU's non-alumni fan base are, well, rednecks. The kind of people you see if you are out way too late at some place that plays both kinds of music, country and western. WVU's student body is, well, New Jersites and other east coast rich C-student rich kids who could not get into their first 40 choices and take up WVU on its unusual combination of open admissions, neo-major college sports, and highly subsidized tuition. The kind of people that you see at some longshoreman's strike in Hoboken. The only thng the two have in common is a penchant for public drunkenness and rude behavior.
To follow MU, one has to:
- The real world factor. MU is not going to win the 2016 national championship. In anything. You have to understand that our goals are realistic and honest. You have to be happy with being the underfunded and underappreciated college in a small state that still acomphishes grand things.
- The Hank Jr. factor. See above. You will be the target, all the time, of people who can barely read or write, who, nonetheless, have detailed opinions on MU, its sports teams, and its academic standing, all of which they will articulate to you with Jethro Bodine esque eloquence.
- The TV factor. Especially outside the H-C TV market, is not as easy to follow as most teams. Not all of our games are on TV. It is what it is. And, because CUSA has deals with networks not called ESPN, you have to learn where and how to see the games that are on. And because ESPN ignores sports and leagues its does not have rights to, you will get a 87th replay of some THE AMERICAN!!!!!!! lowlight, rather than the Marshall score. Locally, outside of a couple of good guys, the coverage of MU sports ranges from ignoring alltogether, to the type of condensention you will see in an MSNBC report on a Republican candidate.
- The DOG factor. Disgruntled Old Grads. MU has a cadre of fans that live to b***h. "why don't we play Alabama 1 for 1" "we need a 10000 baseball palace" "how come every game is not on ESPN' "Lets join THE AMERICAN!!!!!!!!" "The game is at 1 and I have little league, it shoudl be at 2:30" "selling beer will destroy civilization as we know it". You have to learn to ignore them.
To follow WVU, one must do the following:
- The WWF factor. WVU fans, led by its lapdog media, will spew absolute idiocy. Idiocy about the recruits, all of whom were snatched from Alabama, Notre, Dame, and USC's hands. Idiocy about the coaches, all of whom are super geniuses. Idiocy about the fan base, which is "special" and will turn out for sell outs every time (all those empty seat you think you see, you do not see). And idiocy about the school's status, which really is not open-admissions and 65% out-of-state rich kids; and its finances, which are "self-supporting".
- The Notre Dame factor. Because in the four years since foolishly moving up to the true major level, WVU has been singularly unsuccessful, one must sit around and talk about long ago successes. (Of course, Notre Dame really did have success long ago, buy, see "WWF factor, above, one must believe that the old "Big East" and its predecessors was actually "major college football" ) and sit about and talk about heroic stars (none of which you ever heard of if you follow pro football) and "huge" wins like beating Penn State twice out of 45 tries.
- The UK football factor. Since WVU really cannot compete in the Big 2, Little 8, one must live vicariously through the good (there are no great) teams in the 5th of the 5 "power 5" leagues, just as UK football fans live through their SEC betters.
- The Marshall factor. You must know every single thing about Marshall. You must be fixated upon Marshall. Every team that plays Marshall must be your second favorite. All the while denying that you care a bit about your "non-rival".
- The Hank, Jr. and Jersey Shore factor. WVU's non-alumni fan base are, well, rednecks. The kind of people you see if you are out way too late at some place that plays both kinds of music, country and western. WVU's student body is, well, New Jersites and other east coast rich C-student rich kids who could not get into their first 40 choices and take up WVU on its unusual combination of open admissions, neo-major college sports, and highly subsidized tuition. The kind of people that you see at some longshoreman's strike in Hoboken. The only thng the two have in common is a penchant for public drunkenness and rude behavior.
To follow MU, one has to:
- The real world factor. MU is not going to win the 2016 national championship. In anything. You have to understand that our goals are realistic and honest. You have to be happy with being the underfunded and underappreciated college in a small state that still acomphishes grand things.
- The Hank Jr. factor. See above. You will be the target, all the time, of people who can barely read or write, who, nonetheless, have detailed opinions on MU, its sports teams, and its academic standing, all of which they will articulate to you with Jethro Bodine esque eloquence.
- The TV factor. Especially outside the H-C TV market, is not as easy to follow as most teams. Not all of our games are on TV. It is what it is. And, because CUSA has deals with networks not called ESPN, you have to learn where and how to see the games that are on. And because ESPN ignores sports and leagues its does not have rights to, you will get a 87th replay of some THE AMERICAN!!!!!!! lowlight, rather than the Marshall score. Locally, outside of a couple of good guys, the coverage of MU sports ranges from ignoring alltogether, to the type of condensention you will see in an MSNBC report on a Republican candidate.
- The DOG factor. Disgruntled Old Grads. MU has a cadre of fans that live to b***h. "why don't we play Alabama 1 for 1" "we need a 10000 baseball palace" "how come every game is not on ESPN' "Lets join THE AMERICAN!!!!!!!!" "The game is at 1 and I have little league, it shoudl be at 2:30" "selling beer will destroy civilization as we know it". You have to learn to ignore them.
Above you see a perfect example of "The Marshall factor." Non-alumni Spamites totally and uterly fixated upon Marshall.
You cant beat herd football. Biggest turnaround in college football history. 2 national titles in their leauge. In basketball, its wv by a landslide. Herd has not been to the big tounrey since 88 and prior to that 71. 71 by far the best. WV has made the final 4. They play in a much bigger and stronger football leauge but you must travel clear across the country to watch them play. At the same time, unlike the herd WV could possibly win a national title if they ever had the team. Marshall would not even get a shot. We need a playoff syatem. College football is about the only leauge from 5 year olds to the pros's without a playoff.
Let me correct the record here for those who weren't around at the time.
* MU received an at large bid to the '72 NCAA tournament. The athletic dept. was independent of any conference affiliation during this time.
* MU's last trip to the NCAA was 1987 where they lost to TCU in the old-old Charlotte Coliseum
* MU lost at home to VCU in the opening round of the '88 NIT by one point in front of a packed house.
I've gone to both schools, as I've bounced around a lot in my life. I have been to football games at both schools, and can attest that they're very different worlds.
The WVU fanbase is horrendous. In the student section, they're mostly fall down drunk New Jersey kids, with horrible attitudes and a complete disdain for the town they live in. They don't care about what's happening in game, just getting back to partying and putting the football team on a level of reverence that they have never actually had or even earned.
Marshall fans, while they still drink at tailgates and pregame, truly care about the team and how it does. The crowds may be smaller at the Joan, but the passion for the team and the game are legit. They/we know who the team is, know what level they are recognized as, and still love the team.
The WVU fanbase is horrendous. In the student section, they're mostly fall down drunk New Jersey kids, with horrible attitudes and a complete disdain for the town they live in. They don't care about what's happening in game, just getting back to partying and putting the football team on a level of reverence that they have never actually had or even earned.
Marshall fans, while they still drink at tailgates and pregame, truly care about the team and how it does. The crowds may be smaller at the Joan, but the passion for the team and the game are legit. They/we know who the team is, know what level they are recognized as, and still love the team.
Playoffs would be absolutly disasterous for not only the "group of 5" but for all of college football. Nothing would matter beside the tournament, and the CUSA champion would "get" to play @ Alabama or LSU every December. No thanks.
In any event, MU has played in the NCAAs 5 times, losing in the first round each time.
1956 as MAC auto bid - Morehead State
1972 as "at large" - Southwestern Louisiana (Louisiana - Lafayette)
1984 as SOCON auto bid -Villanova
1985 as SOCON auto-bid - Virginia Commonwealth
1987 as SOCON auto-bid Texas Christian
MU has played in the NIT 5 times.
In 1967 it won two games, beating Villanova and Nebraska, before losing the semi-finals to Marquette and the consolation game to Rutgers. It has lost in the first round every other time
1968 - St. Peter's
1973 - Fairfiled
1988 - Virginia Commonwealth
2012 - Middle Tennessee
MU played in what is today known as the NAIA tournament before joining the NCAA in the 1950s.
In 1938 MC beat Peru State before losing to Washburn
In 1947 MC beat River Falls State (now Wisconsin-River Falls), Hamline, Eastern Washington, Emporia State and Mankato State (now Minnesota State-Mankato) to win the National Championship.
In 1948 MC beat Peru State before losing to San Jose State.
In any event, MU has played in the NCAAs 5 times, losing in the first round each time.
1956 as MAC auto bid - Morehead State
1972 as "at large" - Southwestern Louisiana (Louisiana - Lafayette)
1984 as SOCON auto bid -Villanova
1985 as SOCON auto-bid - Virginia Commonwealth
1987 as SOCON auto-bid Texas Christian
MU has played in the NIT 5 times.
In 1967 it won two games, beating Villanova and Nebraska, before losing the semi-finals to Marquette and the consolation game to Rutgers. It has lost in the first round every other time
1968 - St. Peter's
1973 - Fairfiled
1988 - Virginia Commonwealth
2012 - Middle Tennessee
MU played in what is today known as the NAIA tournament before joining the NCAA in the 1950s.
In 1938 MC beat Peru State before losing to Washburn
In 1947 MC beat River Falls State (now Wisconsin-River Falls), Hamline, Eastern Washington, Emporia State and Mankato State (now Minnesota State-Mankato) to win the National Championship.
In 1948 MC beat Peru State before losing to San Jose State.
Nope. MU played Georgetown in a Thanksgiving tournament at UNLV. I cannot remember the 4th team in the deal. I think it was 85 or 86.
